


Little Star

by Space_Samurai



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Exile, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Good Dad Ben Solo, Medical Inaccuracies, Parenthood, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-24 06:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18565426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Samurai/pseuds/Space_Samurai
Summary: Rey is off planet on a mission from the New Republic. Ben stays with their son, who falls ill. It’s the most terrifying thing he’s ever dealt with.Decisions are made, consequences be damned.-Or: Dad Ben breaks his house arrest for all the right reasons.





	Little Star

**Author's Note:**

> And here I am, writing yet another totally self-indulgent thing. Also, take no kind of medical advice from me or from anyone in this fic lmao. This is a galaxy far far away,

 

If one considers that almost every Grand Moffs got executed and that all Generals -with the exception of Hux, who killed himself before being caught- were condemned to spend their lives on a cell, you could say that Ben got it easy.

Exile in an isolated moon weren’t necessarily a bad thing. Mostly because Rey had followed him into it. The excuse of guarding a powerful dark user worked well enough for the Jedi until her robes started getting tighter as her middle got rounder. There had been no doubts of the paternity of her child.

By law of the New Republic, he was bound to this world he currently lived in. He couldn’t leave, not for _any_ reason.

“What if he gets hurt?” Rey had pressed, her lips in a tight line as she inquired the Council. “This is a wild planet, without his saber he’ll be an easy prey. An animal could attack him.”

“Then pray to the Maker that it won’t happen.” They had replied.

If there was something to be feared in these woods, the animals weren’t exactly it. The decision hadn’t bothered him, Ben was just fine with never seeing again any of their faces. If he got to spend the rest of his days with Rey alone, he would just make it.

Until now, the sentence had only bothered once before. When their son had been born, it had been on Coruscant. Rey had felt the early pains on their bed, and called for a ship. He was forbidden from going, to the point they wouldn't even let him board the ship with her. Jacen had been held by his mother, FN-2187 and his wife, even _Dameron_ had visited Rey before she returned to their home; when he had finally been able to see his son.

But now, it went beyond him.

Yesterday, Rey had received a message; she was needed as a mediator for a trading deal with the New Republic. An unspoken part of their little agreement was that Rey had to be their lap dog and attend their call without question. Again, not the first time this had happened. But Jacen had caught a fever in the night, his little form shivering between the heavy blankets while Ben and Rey fretted around him.

“I don't like this.” She whispered. “They'll understand, I can't go and leave him like this.” She rocked back and forth, Jacen had finally stopped crying, but his silence did not ease them. Small whimpers escaped him once in a while.

She had contacted the Republic, but their end of the line hadn't responded. The ship that was meant to take her to Coruscant appeared on their radar soon after.

“His fever seems to be going down.” She sounded uncertain, trying to convince herself. “Are you sure you'll be fine alone?” She cleans the snot from Jacen’s nose with a soft towel.

It was the first time she'd been called since giving birth seven months ago. She'd never spent more than half an hour away from their son, and that had only been because she'd gone to change the Falcon's oil, plus the ship was stationed right behind their home.

“Don't worry. Children get sick all the time.” He tried to reassure her.

Rey shook her head. “Not this young. Back in Jakku-” Rey winced, she didn't need to finish.

“This is not Jakku.” He replied, his voice firm. “He'll be fine tomorrow or the day after, but he _will_ get better. He's strong with the Force, just like his mother.”

Rey pressed him tighter against her chest and placed a small kiss on his forehead. Ben took him off her arms and Rey pulled him by the shirt for a kiss of his own.

“I’ll be right back” She swore against his lips. “As soon as we are done, I’m coming back.”

“I know.”

 

* * *

 

Jacen doesn’t get better. His little body now shakes violently with every cough, and the sound it’s the single most terrifying thing that Ben has ever heard. He’s also crying again, regardless of how much Ben paces around the house and rocks him along.

His son is usually warm, reason why Ben goes shirtless to bed when he’s sleeping between him and Rey, but now he irradiates heat like a furnace and Ben tries his best no to project how worried he’s getting.

He smoothers his palm over his back, covering all of it. His son whines on his shoulder, leaving a trail of snot and tears behind him. It squeezes his heart painfully, not being able to offer any kind of comfort other than holding him.

His force signature emanates distress, and Ben is sure than half of it belongs to himself.

After an hour of hearing him cough as if each breath was to be his last, Ben reaches a simple conclusion. His son needs a doctor. The next planet is not even a jump away, he could take the Falcon, reach it and land in less than thirty minutes if he rushes it. He’s sure of that.

His face is well known and so is the Falcon, however. Rey wouldn’t be happy if he gets himself arrested and then killed for leaving the planet. But she would approve his rashness if it was for their son. So that’s exactly what he does.

He takes an old blaster from Rey’s drawer –for his lightsaber is currently in the custody of the Republic, kriff them-, and one of the long scarfs she uses to carry Jacen around. He doesn’t even care about how it’ll look on him. He’s got greater worries.

“We are taking a little trip,” He whispers on his son’s soft hair, inherited from him. He caresses the short black locks with a gentle hand, and presses his lips to his temple. Still too warm, they had to get going. “Dad, will make it all better.” He feels rather ridiculous, but Rey had told him that the more he spoke to him, the sooner Jacen would talk on his own.

The Falcon feels familiar, though is been a while since he had stepped on it and even longer since he had flied it, not since his time at the Resistance. He leaves the planet in no time, and before he knows it, they are on their way.

He paces around when Jacen starts to fuss, he hasn’t slept since last night and it’s got him all moody. Ben hasn’t slept either, but he wasn’t the one with a fever and coughs, so he didn’t get to complain.

At least he has stopped crying. Now he’s content with whining loudly from time to time between the coughs. Ben feels the strength of every sharp intake in his own body. “Hang in there, we almost arrive.” Jacen babbles in response. Good, his son is very smart.

Ben turns on the New Republic channel on, he guesses that, if by any chance they figure out that he’s gone, a massive hunt for his head would be started. But there’s nothing more than gossip about Endor’s new Ewok King and Naboo’s newest fashion scandal.

He enters the atmosphere and lands the Falcon an area that it’s not very populated, but that it’s close enough to the town. They leave the ship covered from head to toe, Ben with a large hood that covers most of his face, with the blaster safely tied on his belt, and Jacen pressed tightly against his chest, in the winter clothes that Rey had gotten from him. The boy could barely move in them, never mind that he didn’t have the energy to do it. It any other occasion, it would have been endearing.

This is the first time he leaves the planet in years, and it doesn’t feel a dime as good as it should. The path to the town seems endless to Ben, the length aggravating with each little puffy breath that Jacen releases. He hadn’t realized that it calls the attention from the people around them.

An old man even dares to speak to him, scaring the lights out of him. Ben almost pulled the blaster off his belt. _Almost._

“Is your buddy alright?” He asked, with some sincere worry on his voice. It may be suspicious to go on ignoring him, so he answers.

“He’s sick. He hasn’t stopped coughing, I’m taking him to a doctor but I’m not very familiar with this side of the town.” The old man got the hint.

“Ah, yes. My youngest would get the worst colds, one would think he was going to kick the bucket at any time.” Ben involuntarily hugged Jacen closer. “Go around the corner, there’s a little clinic over there.”

Ben thanked him, looking down, still with his hood on. He moved silently, quickly amongst the people in the busy street, sending a feeling of _don’t look at me_ in the force. Luke would have said that the force doesn’t work that way, jokes on him.

He finds the place immediately, the bright building is impossible to miss, with little children smiling as they hold hands painted in the front. There are a few women there; a heavily pregnant one, another one that tries to keep two boys from misbehaving while she talks to the other and one –the one he walks to- behind the counter.

The woman looks up at him when he gets near and he can feel the nervousness in her. Oh no, had he been recognized? Would she tend to his son before calling the Republic on him?

In that moment, Jacen coughs loudly. Silence is made and the expression goes away from the woman’s face. Ben dares to pull back the hood, letting his long hair fall in place.

“My son is sick. He-He has a fever and he won’t stop-“Maker, now he’s the nervous one. Ben swallowed thickly. “He needs to be seen by someone.”

The woman nodded affirmatively, her former mood forgotten. “Absolutely, please wait here. I’ll be right back.” She goes to the back of the place, and since Ben doesn’t feel any ill intent from her, he eases his shoulders a bit.

“Children get sick all the time, friend. Don’t worry.” The woman with the two boys says, echoing his words from earlier. “First one?”

Ben nods. She chuckles. “Wish I had gotten that chance, before I knew what I was doing I had these two ordering me around.” She points fondly at the kids. “Not getting any sleep aren’t you?”

“Not really,” he answers. Thinking about how it would have been if they had twins instead of just Jacen. The thought of two sick babies at once is not very appealing.

The woman from before arrives, asking Ben to follow her. He’s lead to a little, white room. There’s an older, green Twi’lek lady waiting for him there. She has a warm air around her, wise and calm yet welcoming. The kind of thing that he needed desperately.

She raises an eyebrow at him. “You can come in, mister, I don’t bite.”

He stumbles on his own feet going in. How awkward he had gotten with other people, from not talking to anyone but Rey for years. He hopes she cannot feel how stressed he is.

Ben unwraps Jacen from his chest before anything, now holding the boy in his arms.

“Who do we have here?” She asks with a smile, extending her arms to grab the boy. Ben hands him over reluctantly, not used to see him in other people’s hands.

“Jai-“He’s so stupid. “Jaiden.”

“What a handsome little fella.” The babe coughs in her face, but she seems unfazed. “And you are sir?” She starts to unwrap all the layers of clothes his son has, and Ben has to keep himself from flinching as he shivers in cold.

“His father.”

She also doesn’t seem to mind his attitude. “I could guess that much, I meant your name.”

“Luke.” This time, the name slips out easily. Apparently, there had been a _boom_ of Lukes and Leias after the fall of the Empire, so it wouldn’t be too weird for someone his age to be called so. She nodded, humming.

“For how long has he been like this?”

“He has had a fever since yesterday’s night, but he started coughing today at dawn.” Ben shifted uncomfortably. “He won’t eat anything.”

“Has he ever gotten sick before? A bad stomach? Trouble breathing?”

“Never.”

“And how old is he?”

“Six months, four weeks and three days old.” He replies, the woman laughs heartedly. Rey’s method of keeping count things has rubbed on him.

“It would seem to me that you have a perfectly healthy son. Just a little cold here.”

Ben’s eye twitched. “He doesn’t sound healthy to me.”

“It’s very common for babies to get colds before their first year of life. I know it can’t be easy to hear him like this as a father, but there’s nothing serious going.” She was right, it didn’t make his chest feel any less tight every time Jacen coughed.

She must have seen his skepticism. “Did he have a runny nose and lots of snot?”

Ben nodded.

“Then it seems like a perfectly normal cold. Does he has all his shots?”

Ben nodded again.

“Then he’s safe, here, I’ll give you something to put on his meals. It should help with the cough and it will put him to sleep. The fever will go down on its own. Also, I need you to fill out some sheets for me.”

If it helped his son, he’d stay ten more days filling sheets.

“Now all he needs is lots of love and care.” The woman smiled as she handed him back. “Do you have a good support net? We have a few programs for single parents if you need anything.”

“Ah…No, thank you. I’m married.” He’s not, but in all but law Rey’s his wife.

She smiled. “Send your lady, my regards. And mister,” She called as he left “that cloak makes you look terrifying. You scared the light out of my nurse there. If she hadn’t seen your son she might have called the police.”

Jacen babbled all over his chest as he left, this time, with the hood off.

 

* * *

 

When Rey returns, Jacen is sleeping soundly in his crib and the Falcon is once more on the earth, exactly where she’d left it the last time she used it. Ben is waiting for her on the porch of the house, looing exhausted.

Before asking for him, she asks for Jacen. “Is he-?”

“Sleeping.” Ben cuts her, keeping his voice soft, as if their son could hear them from the other end of the house. “The fever is gone. He’s taken a hot bath and I changed him before tucking him in.”

Ben sees the exact moment the tension leaves her shoulders. “Thanks the Maker.”

_More like thank me_ , Ben thinks, but doesn’t voice. It wasn’t about getting thanked. And perhaps it’s better for their little trip to remain secret for a while. Just for now.

Rey’s body slumps against his. Their lips find each other, sweetly. They stay like that for a while, with their foreheads pressed together. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do anything but sleep right now.”

Ben, who hadn’t even thought about doing anything but passing out on the spot, shook his head effusively. “Don’t worry about it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Good Dad Ben is a great thing and there's nothing more terrifying than hearing a baby cough.. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed ;D


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